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Thank You Card Etiquette

Wedding Thank You card etiquette for the bride and groom.

The wedding is over, you've opened your gifts, bid farewell to your family and out-of-town guests, and are headed to the airport to fly away and kick back on your honeymoon. But in order to fully relax, it's important to plan ahead for the last but far-from-least important detail of your wedding: the thank you notes.

When Should You Send Your Thank You Cards?

It's best to send your thank you notes within three months of your wedding day. Get them done while the guests and gifts are fresh in your mind, then you'll be free to devote your attention to building a new life with your spouse.

However, if you tend to procrastinate, remember that it's never too late to send a thank you note. Everyone wants to feel appreciated, even if the note arrives a few months later than it should have.

How Can You Streamline the Process?

Make the process of sending thank you cards as easy as possible by keeping in mind the following tips:

Create a master list of addresses when you're mailing out your wedding invitations so you have the correct information ready for your thank you notes.

If you're using printable DIY thank you cards, print and trim your cards at the same time you make your wedding invitations. The Printable Wedding has a number of coordinating stationery sets that feature matching thank you cards.

Purchase extra stamps and return address labels when you're buying these items for your wedding invitations. This will make it easier to send out cards for gifts that arrive in advance of your big day.

Have a friend or family member greet guests as they enter the reception, at the same time offering to bring any gifts that are carried into a designated area. You can ask this person to keep an eye out for things such as loose cards with gifts. The greeter should be armed with tape to attach any cards to gifts that might get lost in the shuffle. This will save the possibility of confusion later.

When opening gifts, have a designated note taker, such as the maid of honor or best man, keep a list of each gift you open and who gave it to you. Make copies of this list right away, or even better, type it into a word-processing program and save it on your computer. This will be your master list when writing thank you notes.

Don't forget people who contributed their time and talents to your wedding, such as a friend who volunteered to serve as the photographer or your crafty sister who made all your reception centerpieces. Keep a separate list of these individuals to make sure they receive a proper thank you after the wedding.

What Should I Write in a Thank You Note?

Your thank you notes should be simple, but sincere. Notes should be personalized, thanking the recipient for the gift as well as the effort they made in helping you celebrate your special day.

Notes should be handwritten in blue or black ink. If you're self-conscious about your handwriting, remember that most people would rather receive a messy handwritten card than a typed note. Your note doesn't need to be in cursive, however. If you feel your printing is neater, this is perfectly acceptable.

Here's an example of appropriate thank you card wording:

Dear James and Elizabeth,

Thank you for the beautiful painting. We absolutely love it and will be proudly displaying it in the entryway of our new home.

It meant so much to have you present on our special day. We're looking forward to seeing you again soon.

With love,
Matthew and Kate

Showing Your Appreciation in Style

Sending a personal message of appreciation to thank guests for helping you to celebrate your nuptials may be the last item on your wedding to-do list, but it's one that's deserving of your full attention. Good manners never go out of style!